Automatic car-brake



(No Mode l.)

]J. 1). MEENQA N AUTOMATIC 0A3 BRAKE.

Patented Nov. 20

Inventor W itnesses UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE. A

JOHN D. MEENAN, OF RIDGWAY, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,719, dated November 20, 1883.

Application filed June 16, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. MEENAN, of Ridgway, Elk county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Automatic Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is an accurate description of the same, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3is a transverse section.

The object of my invention is to make a brake which may be caused to act automatically, or-be thrown out of action at will; and it consists, essentially, in a lever interposed between a bumper-rod and the brake-rod, and movable fulcrum for said lever, which may be put in position or removed at will.

A is the car-bumper, and a is a bumperrod passing back through or near to said bumper A, and supported in proper bearing,

' wheels.

which permits said rod to slide endwise. A strong spring, 1;, forces saidrod forward to itsnormal position. When the cars of a train come in contact by reason of resistance at the front of the train, the bumper-rod a is forced. inward,'and when the mechanism is in gear the brakes are thereby forced against the The device which I have employed in connection with the bumper-rod a, to embody my invention, consists of a lever, e, jointed at one end to thebumper-rod a, and at its other end to the brake rod or chain q. When the bumper-rod is forced inward, the one end of said lever is carried with it, and if, at that moment, said lever is in contact with a stationary abutment or fulcrum, it becomes a lever of the first order,and the brake chain or rod q will be pulled in an opposite direction, and the brakes thereby forced against the wheels with a force proportionate to the force with which the bumper-rod a is forced inwards The requisite fulcrum is the latchbar f, which at one end is pivoted at gto some stationarypart of the frame of the car, and at its other or free end is adapted, when in position, to engage the arm 6 and act as a fulcrum for it. I therefore put the pin h in the arm 6, and make a notch, a, in the latch f, so that when said latch is in one position the pinhwill engage in-the notch a, and will become a lever, and when the latch f is withdrawn from that position lever 6 will not be so engaged, and will be merely a freelyswinging arm. The latch 'f is provided with a link, 0, and means whereby said latch may be moved into or out of position at will.

The above is a description of a typical structure, embodying my invention, of a removable fulcrum for the lever, whereby motion is communicated to the brakes, so that they may be made automatic or non-automatic at will. The details of structure may be greatly varied, and thereforeI do not propose to limit myself to the details shown.

I think it preferable to make the lever c with two parallel parts, as shown inFig. 2, with the latch f passing through between them. This avoids all torsional strain when in action.

The link 0 is connected with a latch-bar p, which, however, is capable of descending independently of said link, so that when it is desired to leave the wheels locked by the brake said latch-bar pis left at liberty, and when the bumper-rod a is pushed in, and the brakes thereby applied, said latch-rod drops in front of a shoulder or stop, an, on said bumper-rod, and prevents its return outward when released from pressure of the car in front.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is- I. An automatic car-brake consisting of a sliding bumper-rod, a, and a lever or arm, 6, jointed at one end to the brake rod or chain q, and at the other end to the sliding bumperrod a, and provided with the pin h, combined with a pivoted latch-arm ,f, with notch n, adaptto said rod, and at the other end to the brake rod or chain q, combined with a lifting-link o, and the latch p, substantially as set forth.

JOHN D. MEENAN.

Witnesses:

S. A. Born, CHARLES B. EARLEY. 

